Mauro Camoranesi and Jonathan Zebina were both sent off late in the match.

Juventus might be eight points ahead at the top of Serie A but they were a ragged mess by the end of the match.

They had heavy legs and bowed heads after being blown away by an Arsenal side that played with verve and invention.

Arsenal's clean sheet means they have now gone seven matches without conceding in the Champions League - equaling the record set by AC Milan last season.

It was a difficult return to Highbury for Patrick Vieira, who received a warm reception but then went on to pick up a second-half booking that means he, along with Camoranesi and Zebina, will miss the return leg.

Juve looked to stamp their physical superiority on the midfield early in proceedings, Vieira giving away a free-kick for a foul on Fabregas inside two minutes.

Arsenal, though, showed an appetite to compete and it was a superb tackle by Pires that dispossessed Vieira and led to Arsenal's opening goal shortly before half time.

Pires passed to Thierry Henry, who in turn found Fabregas and the young Spaniard wrong-footed Buffon with a cleverly disguised shot from the edge of the area.

As against Real Madrid, Arsenal played with great passion and, although guilty at times of over-elaborate play, they created the bulk of the first-half openings.

Fabregas dragged a shot wide after collecting a deft flick from Pires, Buffon saved from Kolo Toure and Henry twice went close from free-kicks, one of them taken quickly.

A minute after Fabregas' goal, Henry went close with a shot from a very tight angle and the home team were firmly in the ascendancy at the break.